


The Dog

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robert Sugden's birthday bonanza [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Boyfriends, M/M, Robert is a little accident prone, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23774086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: the morning after a romantic gesture gone wrong
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Robert Sugden's birthday bonanza [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711618
Kudos: 47





	The Dog

“Happy birthday.” Aaron sat down on the bed next to Robert’s hip and carefully leaned over him to give him his birthday kiss.

“Thanks…” Robert mumbled and took the mug of tea Aaron offered him. “I’m not feeling very festive…” he trailed off and sipped his tea.

Aaron gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Your hair keeps falling into your eyes, do you know that? Here, lemme just—” He moved Robert’s messy bed hair off of his forehead. “You should grow it out. I like it like this.”

“Yeah well, looks like you’re in luck. I don’t think I’ll be getting a haircut any time soon.”

“I could ask Bernice to come over and work her magic on you at home?”

“No.” Robert said right away. “I’ll never hear the end of it if she sees me like this.”

Aaron rolled his eyes but decided to let Robert have his pity party for a few days.

“I’m just glad you’re home instead of in that hospital bed.”

Robert nodded. He’d all but begged the doctors to let him go home instead of keeping him overnight so he could at least spend his birthday at home.

“Yeah me too. But I still feel stupid.”

“Why? It was an accident.”

Robert snorted.

“What do I tell people when they ask what happened? I’ll be hobbling around on crutches for weeks. They’ll notice.”

“Just tell them what happened. You fell.”

Another snort.

“What happened to you Robert?” he started. “Oh no big deal, I fell. I know I look like I beat up 10 thugs on a motorcycle, but I just fell.”

Aaron laughed.

“Were the thugs on a motorcycle or you? And All of them on one or one each?” he teased and Robert glared at him.

“Well you see, I didn’t just fall, I tripped over my boyfriend’s dog.”

“Oh now he’s my dog? I thought he was ours?”

Robert shook his head.

“Oh no, after that stunt you two pulled, he’s definitely yours.”

Aaron laughed again and moved to sit next to Robert on his own side of the bed.

“It was supposed to be romantic.”

“Oh yeah it was dead romantic. So romantic it nearly killed me. Where is that walking murder weapon anyway?”

Aaron laughed loudly.

“Out for a run with Ellis.” he leaned over to kiss Robert. “It wasn’t that bad was it? You still said yes.”

“I believe it was ‘Fuck are you for fucking real? Yes! Fuck! Yes I’ll marry you! Damn it Aaron call a fucking ambulance I’m in agony! Or something along those lines. I was kind of out of it, what with my knee getting twisted out of my body.”

Aaron tried to stop laughing but failed.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know you were in pain but you’ve missed your calling. You’d make a great comedian.”

Robert huffed, trying to hide the hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“Who proposes like that anyway? Most people do it over a candle lit dinner or in a special place.”

“That’s where Clyde came in! He was supposed to lead you to that bench where we first kissed. He had a map and everything. I was going to slip out the back and then take a short cut to get there before you.”

“A map? So that’s what he’d chewed up… I thought it was something important.”

“Well… it kind of was important.” Aaron carefully leaned his head on Robert’s shoulder, mindful of the bruises he knew were there. “But for what’s worth, Clyde and I are both sorry for what happened… But I’m also really glad you said yes.”

Robert turned his head to look at him.

“Did you not think I would?”

“I don’t know… we’d never really talked about it, had we?”

“I suppose not. But you yelling “Robert what the fuck happened, I was going to ask you to marry me!” well… I couldn’t say no after that could I?” Robert chuckled and then winced when his bruised ribs played up again.

“It’s definitely an interesting story to tell to the grandchildren one day.” Aaron mused.

“Oh no. We are never telling anyone the full story… You haven’t told anyone yet, have you?”

“Do you think we’d be sitting here like this if either of our mothers knew we’d just gotten engaged?”

“No I guess not. Let’s not tell them for a while.”

“Why not? Because you’re afraid they’ll ask who proposed and how?” Aaron asked, a grin spreading on his face.

Robert pretended to pick up the phone.

“Hey mum it’s me. I have some news. Aaron proposed to me last night and I said yes. How he did it? Well he wanted Clyde to lead me somewhere… but he ate the map and then I tripped over him and fell down the stairs and spent the day in hospital. No, nothing is broken. Just bruised. And a dislocated knee. But other than that I’m fine. I’ll tell Aaron you said congrats. Bye mum.” he deadpanned and looked at Aaron who laughed.

“Ok maybe not exactly like that.”

“Let’s just give it a few days. Until my face no longer looks like I’ve gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson.”

“Sure.” Aaron said, lacing their fingers together and squeezing Robert’s hand. “Do you think you can make it downstairs on your own or do you want breakfast up here?”

“Well… it is my birthday. I think that includes breakfast in bed.”

“Alright your highness. Do you want anything else? An ironed paper? Freshly baked bread?”

“Yes. All of those.” Robert said and finally cracked a smile, full on laughing when Aaron saluted him before getting up from the bed.

“Yes, sir. Coming right up.”

“Hey, wait, come back here a sec.” Robert held out his hand and pulled Aaron back towards him. “I need you to promise me one thing…”

“What?”

“Please don’t use Clyde in some romantic grand gesture for our wedding. I don’t think I’d survive.”

Aaron laughed and pressed a kiss to Robert’s lips.

“I promise.”


End file.
